A Week in Vilnius: 14-20 January

Here’s a week full of recommendations for how to spend your free time in Vilnius. Music, art, gastronomy, bar-hopping, cinema and sports – but please, don’t try to experience everything at the same time.

The author of these tips is the leading expert on Vilnius nightlife and leisure, Daina Dubauskaitė, who has been covering cultural action in the city for a decade now. So, subscribe to this guide and you'll be in safe hands when you leave your hotel or apartment.

Wednesday, Jan 14thFood and drink: Le Butcher 10AM-midnight

Gourmet street food is trending in Vilnius right now, and Le Butcher is one of the few burger joints that are just a tiny bit pricier than McDonalds… and a million times better. And healthier. There’s a French touch to it, as you can see from the name of the restaurant, located in the area of a former Jewish ghetto, in the – one more linguistic spice – Butchers street. Ask for daily specials!

Built in 1974, the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre is one of the most exciting examples of Soviet architecture in Vilnius. Have a sip of the legendary hot chocolate before you experience Alexander’s Feast, one of the most popular works by George Frideric Handel. Directed and conducted by Rolf Beck, it is a co-production with the Palace of Arts in Budapest. The costumes are designed by Juozas Statkevičius, the only true king of Lithuanian fashion.

Lose yourself in live electronic music among some of the most dedicated music lovers in Vilnius – two times on the same night! The first show will be delivered by local legend Golden Parazyth, and a super-talented artist Dave Aju is coming all the way from California for a live show that will present his latest artist album. Also deep and melodic DJ sets from Vidis and Ponty Mython to start the night and to finish it off.

Godfrey, a Nigerian-born, USA-based comedian, has been invited to perform in the inaugural Vilnius Comedy Fest. You might recognize him from Comedy Central or Zealander - and he has delivered a very strong performance in the Jimmy Fallon show. Godfrey’s stand-up in Vilnius theatre arena will be warmed up by local rising star Oleg Surajev that you most probably won’t be able to understand… What a pity!

Teodoras Valaitis, a sculptor and a painter, died when he was 40, right at the peak of his artistic career. Much of his work was invisible to the public for another 40 years. The National Gallery of Art is presenting a retrospective that is also an introduction to the artist himself, a vibrant personality in Soviet modernism. A story well put and an exhibition that will draw you in for a good part of the afternoon.

“Advanced Style” is a flamboyant documentary about flamboyant women of New York. The idea of the movie was born while writing an eponymous blog – its owner Ari Seth Cohen teamed up with Lithuanian filmmaker Lina Plioplytė, and the rest is history. The result is an hour of inspiration, life and beauty in many different forms. It’s definitely not only about women or fashion. Much, much deeper! Be sure to reward yourself with a delicacy in the “Planeta” cafe you’ll find inside the cinema.

Welcome to the Contemporary Art Centre, somehow oddly situated in the heart of Vilnius old town. Explore a complex art project “Labyrinthus“ by a local sculptor Dainius Liškevičius that integrates forms of architecture, sculpture and installation. Recollect contemporary history events in The Other Sight exhibition. Don’t miss “Prototypes”, a pilot project of the XII Baltic Triennial. Hop in the permanent “Fluxus” room. And, by all means, check out the CAC cafe, an integral part of the art centre that has been recently refurbished.